


One of the Few Exceptions

by neezwritesexo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Basketball, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Student Council, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 04:44:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21293771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neezwritesexo/pseuds/neezwritesexo
Summary: “Yifan is one big cliché. He knows chances of an unrequited love being successful is close to nothing. He falls for his best friend, anyway.”
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho & Wu Yi Fan | Kris, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Wu Yi Fan | Kris
Comments: 14
Kudos: 132
Collections: November Rain Fest Round 2019





	One of the Few Exceptions

**Author's Note:**

> To the prompter: I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind, but I still hope you enjoy this even a little bit. ^____^
> 
> This is my first fic fest, please be gentle. :)))
> 
> Thank you to the mods for being so helpful!

“They’re Freshmen, we have to give them the ultimate experience!”

“And I’ve been telling you, your _ultimate experience_ is going to cost us two hundred dollars over our budget!”

Beside him, Yifan hears Junmyeon sigh. From the corner of his eye, he saw the council president rubbed his temples, a frown on his beautiful face.

Jongdae and Baekhyun have been at it for over an hour. The student council was in the middle of preparing for the annual Freshmen Assembly. They had put Baekhyun as the head of the committee, and after presenting his plans, Jongdae, the council’s finance officer, was quick to rebut. The two have been arguing since – Baekhyun not lacking persistence and Jongdae refusing to back down as well. Thus, the bickering.

Yifan decides he’s had enough when Junmyeon slumps onto the table, his arms cushioning his head, and groans. Seeing the smaller man upset just didn’t sit well with him.

He reaches for the small gavel between him and Junmyeon and hits a couple of times to get everyone’s attention. Immediately, all eyes were on him. Junmyeon also raises his head and turns to Yifan.

Yifan schools his expression into something he hopes was stern and intimidating and clears his throat before speaking.

“Okay, here’s what you’re _both_ going to do: Talk about it amongst yourselves until you come to an agreement. _Please_ agree on something. Present the plans again in two days. Whatever you two decide on will be final. Talk about sub-committees. Delegate responsibilities. _Finalize_.”

Yifan turns to Jongdae. “I think I can persuade the school administration to give us a hundred dollars more. Work with that.”

“But—“ Baekhyun starts to interrupt, but Yifan cuts him off by holding a hand up. He doesn’t like being this serious, but if he leaves things as they are, they won’t be able to get anything done.

“No buts. Take it or leave it. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

Baekhyun scowls and crosses his arms over his chest. “Fine.”

He smiles, satisfied and looks around the ten other members of the council. When he sees no objections on their faces, he says, “Good. So, we’re done here? I’m sure you’re all in a hurry to get home. Dismissed.”

With a last pound of the gavel, the other members get up from their seats and say their goodbyes one-by-one. Yifan sees Jongdae pull Baekhyun to the corner of the office to begin their discussion.

He was left with Junmyeon and Kyungsoo on the long meeting table. Kyungsoo was on his laptop, most likely trying to finish the meeting’s minutes. Junmyeon was back with his head face down on the table, making Yifan’s brows furrow.

“Hey, you alright?” he asks, resting a hand on Junmyeon’s shoulder and squeezing a little.

The president turns to look at him, one side of his face still on the table. He didn’t fail to notice the bags under Junmyeon’s eyes. The small smile he gives Yifan, though, brightens up his face instantly.

“Yeah, just a little sleepy. Thanks for earlier, by the way. I never know what to do with those two.”

“You’re too lenient on them. They need to be told off once in a while.”

Junmyeon chuckles. “This is why you’re the perfect vice-president. You make up for my lack of sternness.”

He ruffles the president’s blonde hair affectionately. “What ever would you do without me?”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes at Yifan’s mock cockiness and goes back to hiding his face.

“Aren’t you heading home?”

Yifan watches as Junmyeon shakes his head and answers with a muffled voice. “I’ll just nap really quick and go to the library. I have a report to finish.”

“How many hours of sleep did you even get last night?”

Junmyeon looks at him again and ponders at his question. “Four, maybe five?”

“You told me you were turning in early! You didn’t even come to watch me play!” Yifan answers sulkily.

He had a basketball game the previous day, and invited Junmyeon to come. But his friend said no and he was so disappointed, it affected his performance. They still won, though, so he didn’t get into too much trouble with this coach.

“I-uhm… Some relatives of ours came. They left really late and I had no choice but to stay up with my parents.”

“Oh. That’s too bad. It was a great game. You should have seen the school mascot. He was so pumped up it was cute.”

Junmyeon averts his eyes and covers his yawn. “I’ll come next time. Oh, I almost forgot. Congratulations!”

Yifan scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Thanks.”

“We’ll celebrate soon. I just need to get the school stuff done,” the president says and yawns again.

Yifan tuts. “Alright. Time for your nap. Go ahead, I’ll wake you up later.”

Junmyeon smiles at him a little more brightly, and Yifan’s heart swells. “You’re the best.”

A shrill sound startles the two of them and Kyungsoo. They turn to see that Jongdae and Baekhyun were back to squabbling. Again.

Junmyeon groans and buries his face in his arms once more. Yifan sighs.

He was about to tell the two off when an idea crosses his mind. He takes his phone and earbuds out of his bag. He unlocks the phone and opens up his music app. He then selects the playlist that Junmyeon likes and presses play. 

He places the earphones on Junmyeon’s ears without a word, making the other jump slightly. Yifan simply smiles at the questioning look the president gives him. Junmyeon’s eyes light up in understanding when he realizes what Yifan is trying to do and goes back to his sleeping position. 

He turns up the volume a little bit, so that all Junmyeon hears is the music from his phone. Yifan knows it will only take a couple of minutes for him to completely doze off.

He waits until the Junmyeon’s breathing evens, before slumping back in his chair, a fond smile on his lips as he gazes at the other’s sleeping face. The dark circles under his best friend’s eyes were proof of his exhaustion, but that doesn’t stop Yifan from staring. He doesn’t notice how long he stays transfixed on the wonderful view before him. If not for the sound of a throat clearing, he would not have snapped out of the daze he was in.

“Can you be any more obvious?” he perks up at Kyungsoo’s sudden comment. The secretary’s voice was soft enough for only the two of them to hear, and Yifan doesn’t miss the knowing look the other throws him.

Yifan shrugs, and answers in a similar volume. “I like doing things for him.”

“Nah. You just like _him_.”

“Kyungsoo!”

His friend smirks and closes his laptop. “I’ll go play referee. We don’t want your _precious_ Junmyeon to wake up from his nap.”

“Just go, will you?” Yifan shoos him away, getting nervous now. Junmyeon shouldn’t hear any of this. _Ever_.

Kyungsoo stands and prepares to leave, but not before turning to Yifan and saying: “Relax, Yifan. He doesn’t have any clue. He’s as dense as a neutron star.”

Yifan scowls, making Kyungsoo chuckle. “Bye, Kyungsoo.”

The secretary leaves the table with a little wave and heads over to the two noisy idiots at the corner of the room.

Yifan turns to look at Junmyeon once again as Kyungsoo’s words replay on his head. 

_‘Can you be any more obvious?’_

Yifan sighs dejected. Apparently he can, because it doesn’t look like Junmyeon will catch on anytime soon. He just doesn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

**―∞―**

Yifan met Junmyeon on their sophomore year when he and his family had moved in from China. Junmyeon had already established his stature as one of the teachers’ favorites, with his perfect grades and perfect conduct. Naturally, he had been tasked to be Yifan’s “buddy” of some sort, while the latter tries to adjust to his new school and life.

If you told Yifan two years ago that he and Junmyeon would hit it off and become friends, he wouldn’t have believed you. Their first two weeks as a student mentor and student mentee did not exactly go smoothly.

Yifan had been awkward around Junmyeon, initially thinking that he didn’t have anything in common with the other. He had been careful with his words and actions, so as not to unintentionally offend the only person he knew in that school. 

Truth be told, he was intimidated. Junmyeon was everyone’s favorite. He was smart, pleasant, and friends with almost everybody in their year. Junmyeon was perfect, and Yifan was… well, he was _just_ Yifan. Then one day, Junmyeon got fed up and confronted him.

‘_Did I do something to offend you? Do you not want me as your guide? I can totally ask them to get another person if you’re uncomfortable with me_,’ Junmyeon had said.

Yifan was quick to refute Junmyeon’s statements and told him how he really felt, albeit shyly. The latter had laughed good-naturedly after hearing his explanation.

‘_Oh, that’s a relief. I was beginning to think you hate me or something_.’

Nothing could be farther from the truth, because by then, Yifan had already harbored a secret crush. After that, the rest was history. They had both discovered they had a lot in common – from their taste in music, movies, books, and even food. Naturally, they started hanging out more, going beyond the boundaries of just school orientation buddies, and went straight to being close friends. By the time sophomore year was over, Yifan and Junmyeon were inseparable. 

The only thing they disagreed on was Yifan’s extreme love for basketball and Junmyeon’s aversion to anything involving running and sweating. The taller had tried changing his friend’s mind numerous times, but his efforts have been futile.

He was a pushover when it came to Junmyeon, though. He just _couldn’t_ say no to the man. They were about to finish their junior year when the latter came to him and asked him to be his running mate for the upcoming student council elections. 

Yifan was already popular, with him securing a spot in the school’s basketball varsity team. Although Junmyeon had argued that he didn’t pick Yifan because of that.

‘_You know we make a great team. It’s you or nothing. C’mon! I rarely see you because you’re always in training! This way we can spend more time together._’

The argument had won him over. Well, that _and_ Junmyeon’s pouting face. 

Over the years, Yifan had grown to admire how hard Junmyeon worked and how he sincerely wanted to help everyone around him, and Yifan simply wanted to help _him_. So he agreed. He wouldn’t admit it to himself, but the biggest deciding factor was probably because he was already in love with his friend. 

In the beginning, he does what every clichéd fictional character who falls in love with their best friend does – he denies it. It was when boys started falling in line to get Junmyeon’s attention that Yifan pondered deeply on his feelings. He got so pathetically jealous that he and Junmyeon got into some nasty fights and ended up not speaking to each other for a week.

By the time he realized the truth about how he felt, it was too late. He had already fallen. Hard.

He had no problem showing it off. They were already so close, all their friends think they’re dating. The two of them had always been affectionate, and Yifan takes advantage of this to shower Junmyeon with attention, hoping that one day, the smaller will catch on and confront him. So far, he hasn’t had any luck.

He is the confident, cocky player inside the basketball court. But for some reason, in front of Junmyeon, he is always left mute and insecure.

He wonders when he’ll muster up the courage to actually tell Junmyeon how he felt. He wasn’t sure if it would even happen at all. For now, he swears by showing, rather than speaking his feelings out loud. Yifan was a firm believer of ‘_actions speak louder than words_’, after all.

**―∞―**

“Are they _seriously_ going to make me do this?” Junmyeon wails and looks at Yifan pleadingly. “Fan…”

Junmyeon looked so genuinely upset, it made Yifan want to fight whoever made the object of his affection like this. Unfortunately, the situation was out of his control.

They had just received a memo from the head of the sports office. The higher-ups wanted to change up the opening ceremonies of the upcoming athletics festival. Normally, there would be a ceremonial lighting of the torch, which was done by the top athlete of the year. It was _supposed_ to be Yifan. 

For this year, however, the coaches wanted the student council president to do the honors. It would have been fine, except that they didn’t just want a normal lighting ceremony. They also wanted Junmyeon to shoot a hoop. It was kind of like a first-pitch ceremony, except with basketball.

As Yifan expected, Junmyeon was completely against the idea.

Yifan sighs, face apologetic. “I’m really sorry, Jun. This is… I really can’t do anything about this.”

“Why does it have to be me? I mean, you’re the basketball player! Can’t you just substitute for me?”

“The coach wants it to be you,” Yifan answers, running a hand through his hair. “He thinks you’re not showing much interest in the sports events as much as the other activities. He says he wants you to be more… um… engaged.”

“Engaged?” Junmyeon exclaims exasperatedly. “_Engaged_? I’m already overseeing the whole thing, how much more engaged does he need me to be?”

“C’mon, Jun, just do it for the sake of appearance. It’s going to look good with the student body, especially for the varsity teams,” Kyungsoo reasons.

He was immediately met with the president’s glare. Fortunately for him, Kyungsoo was just as stubborn, he doesn’t even flinch.

“I didn’t take this position to look good,” Junmyeon snaps, his temper getting the best of him.

“Hey, don’t be so sensitive,” Yifan placates, rubbing Junmyeon’s back soothingly. “Kyungsoo didn’t mean it like that.”

Junmyeon takes in a deep, shaky breath. He was clearly stressed out about his current predicament. Everyone knows he rarely gets upset, and when he does, he immediately apologizes.

“Sorry, Soo,” Junmyeon says and smiles ruefully at the secretary. Kyungsoo nods in understanding, and just like that, all was forgiven.

“I’m just–” Junmyeon starts to rant again, trying to get his point across. “I don’t even know how to hold a fucking basketball, and they want me to shoot one? As in actually get one inside that ring that’s three times my height? I’ll become a laughingstock. I’ll get turned into a meme!”

There was evident panic in his voice and Yifan was quick to repeat the soothing motions on Junmyeon’s back. He tries to ignore the teasing look Kyungsoo sends his way and focuses on comforting his friend.

“Hey, everything’s going to be okay,” Yifan says. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Junmyeon’s eyes were desperate as he turns to look at Yifan. “You’ll have your work cut out for you. Haven’t we already established that I’m hopeless?”

Yifan remembers his numerous attempts to have Junmyeon feel at ease in a basketball court. All of those attempts have failed. Junmyeon’s shots were always way short of the goal; he always missed even when Yifan made him try lay-up shots; and he absolutely has no hand-eye coordination. But that doesn’t mean he’ll stop trying – especially not now.

“I refuse to give up on you Kim Junmyeon,” he says, determined. “Besides, you’ll only be shooting from the free-throw line. We have over a week to get you ready. It will be a piece of cake.”

A pair of observant eyes watch the council president and the basketball player on their first private lesson. The onlooker struggles to keep hidden, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He looks on as the taller of the two stands behind the other. Yifan’s careful hands were on Junmyeon’s hips, slightly adjusting his posture. 

“Why are you so stiff? It’s just me. Relax,” the anonymous spectator hears the taller man say. An awkward laugh from the president follows.

“I’m telling you right now, this isn’t going anywhere,” Junmyeon warns with a roll of his eyes.

Yifan playfully bops the blonde’s nose and shakes his head. “We’re still trying, anyway.”

The next half hour was spent with the player methodically instructing the smaller with the correct form and technique. Yifan never left the president’s side, muttering the phrases “_eyes on target_”, “_fix your stance_”, “_adjust your grip_”, and “_now shoot_”. 

The observer continues to quietly watch from his hidden spot behind the bleachers. Junmyeon tries to take a shot, only for it to end up almost two-feet short of the ring. He watches distressed, as the president attempts to make a basket, only to fail again and again. He sees Junmyeon’s face fall at every failed attempt, and can’t help but feel sorry for him. 

The closest he got was when the ball finally hit the ring, but unsuccessfully went through the basket. Yifan cheers from his spot under the board, anyway, and Junmyeon’s face instantly brightens.

Yifan on the other hand, was still in high spirits. When the taller spoke, there wasn’t a lace of impatience, only fondness and encouragement.

“I think you’re just hungry. I’ll go get us something to eat, you continue practicing, okay?”

The shorter only nods and continues on his task as the player leaves the court to head to the cafeteria. The onlooker almost makes a move to reveal himself when the unthinkable happens. Junmyeon takes his stance, shoots… and _succeeds_.

He watches in awe as the president repeats the action and lands shot after shot. Junmyeon starts mumbling under his breath, and to the bystander, it sounds a lot like complaining. He hears the words “_so distracting_”, “_get a hold of yourself_” and “_embarrassing_” spill out of the student’s lips.

‘_Interesting_,’ he thinks. Maybe the basketball player’s feelings weren’t unrequited after all. He formulates a plan on the spot and smiles deviously.

When both targets are clueless idiots, cupid has to step up his game.

“Hey, you two. How’s practice going?” Baekhyun asks Yifan and Junmyeon on their last council meeting before the sports festival. “Is Junmyeon going to embarrass himself? Because if he is, I wanna be prepared with my video camera.”

Jongdae, who was sitting beside him, rolls the stack of papers in his hands, and lightly hits Baekhyun on the head with it. “You meanie. You’re not helping.”

Yifan hears Junmyeon’s deflated sigh. He can feel the nerves and frustration seeping out from his friend and he’s aggravated that he can’t do anything about it. So far, he’s only seen Junmyeon make four successful shots out of maybe a hundred. From a basketball player’s point of view, he is sure that Junmyeon will likely fail on his task.

“Junmyeon can do it,” he says, anyway. “We still have a few days left to practice.”

“Can I offer a suggestion?” Kyungsoo interrupts, raising a hand. All eyes turn to the council secretary. “Maybe we can get someone else to help Junmyeon?”

Kyungsoo must have noticed the immediate objection on Yifan’s face, because he was quick to add: “Don’t get me wrong, Yifan. I know you’re doing an excellent job. I just think that maybe a third-party would work?”

“A _third-party_. Interesting,” Baekhyun quips teasingly, eyebrows raised. Yifan fumes. He was surprised smoke hasn’t come out of his ears yet.

Jongdae elbows Baekhyun as soon as he notices how Yifan’s glare turned murderous. “_Shut up_.”

Nobody in the room says a word. The sudden change in atmosphere had made the others hesitant to speak up. From beside him, Yifan feels Junmyeon start to fidget. His best friend was playing with his hands, head down, and unable to look at him.

Finally, Kyungsoo breaks the silence with a heavy sigh.

“Look, you two are quite close and I think you’re being too soft on Junmyeon. Maybe he needs a little push from another direction. A second opinion, if you will.”

Yifan doesn’t respond. He struggles to keep his face blank and mask how he was reeling inside. Thinking about someone else teaching Junmyeon how to play makes him feel like he failed somehow. 

It was immature and he should be better than that, but this was Junmyeon. His best friend, whom he was in love with. He didn’t know if he could handle seeing somebody else get close to him. Yes, he was jealous. He can admit that much.

Junmyeon clears his throat and speaks in a small voice.

“Well, we’ve tried everything else and nothing’s working. I think it’s worth a try.”

Yifan turns to his friend and gapes. He didn’t even care if anyone notices his desperation. “Wait. You’re actually okay with this?”

“There’s no harm in trying, right?” Junmyeon answers with a shrug. “I’m hopeless, so maybe one more person fussing over me will do the trick.”

“You are _not_ hopeless,” he immediately retorts. 

He clenches his fists and takes a deep breath. If Junmyeon was even considering this, he would have absolutely no say in the matter. Yifan would give Junmyeon the world if he asked.

“Okay, Kyungsoo. Say, we go with this idea,” he says to the secretary with gritted teeth. “Do you have someone in mind?”

Kyungsoo’s expression immediately switches to relief. “I do, actually. I talked to him already. You know, just in case. He’s agreed to help us. He’s very excited, in fact.”

“Who?”

“Zhang Yixing.”

It was as if the ceiling collapsed from over him. Yifan’s breath caught as his fists curl tighter over his lap. Kyungsoo clearly knew about Yifan’s feelings for Junmyeon, so why was he doing this? Why was he trying to torment him on purpose?

“Hold on. Isn’t that the dude that has a massive crush on Junmyeon? Wasn’t he the one who did that very public stunt in the school hallway last Valentine's day?”

“Yes, Baekhyun,” Jongdae answers with a roll of his eyes. “That’s him. Shut up, for pete’s sake.”

“No,” Yifan answers in a grave tone.

Kyungsoo sighs again, but he had a determined expression on his face. “Do you have someone better? None of the other varsity players are willing to skip training because of your upcoming game.”

Yifan knows this much. He has a very important game a few days after the opening ceremonies. If they win, his team goes straight to the semi-finals, so every one of his team mates was focused on training to prepare for it. Well, _almost_ everyone. 

In truth, his coach was close to getting pissed at him because he’s shown up late for training in a number of occasions- those occasions being the days he and Junmyeon also practice together. Yifan makes sure to make up for it by extending his hours, being the last one to leave the gym. Junmyeon has already expressed concern over this, but he waves it off all the time.

“You know him. He used to be on the team with you. Do you want some _unknown_ dude teaching Junmyeon instead?” Kyungsoo challenges, not even batting an eye through the glare Yifan fixes him with.

Zhang Yixing used to be in the varsity team, before he decided to quit this year to focus on his academics. Yifan was also fond of him, until he pulled that stunt with Junmyeon that is.

“He’ll make Junmyeon uncomfortable,” Yifan reasons, refusing to budge.

“Well, why don’t we ask Junmyeon?” Kyungsoo says, before turning his attention to the council president who grew silent over the past few minutes. “What do you think, Jun?”

“I…” Junmyeon begins and sneaks a look at him. Yifan holds his gaze for as long as he can. It was Junmyeon who looked away first.

“It’s fine. I’ll do it,” came Junmyeon’s answer as Yifan’s world crumbles.

“So, how’d it go?” Kyungsoo asks the following day, after Yixing drops Junmyeon off at the council office from their first practice session.

Yifan lingers in the background, refusing to acknowledge the other man’s presence in the room. He pretends to be engaged in the book he’s reading, not even bothering to look up when Junmyeon takes the seat beside him.

He secretly wishes Junmyeon failed this time as well. It’s petty, and his friend may not forgive him when he finds out that Yifan is thinking this, but he has no control over his feelings anymore. Jealousy has consumed him, and he is scared of what he may resort to if this keeps up.

“Pretty well, actually,” Yixing answers brightly, making Yifan stiffen on his seat. “I don’t know why you said Junmyeon was hopeless. He did great!”

“Really?” Yifan asked before he could stop himself. He turns to Yixing, still hoping that he just heard wrong.

The other man nods and smiles. “He averaged six shots out of ten. That has to count for something, right?”

Yifan feels like getting kicked in the chest, it almost knocks the breath out of him. 

_Wow, ouch._

“Right,” he manages to reply breathlessly and goes back to his book.

He barely registers Yixing telling Junmyeon he’ll see him again for practice the next day and bidding him goodbye. Yifan doesn’t notice Kyungsoo leave the room after exchanging a glance with Junmyeon, and locking the door behind him so they are left alone.

His mind was just swimming with questions. _What had he done wrong? Did Junmeyon really prefer Yixing over him? _

“Are you mad?” Junmyeon says after a long period of silence.

Yifan winces at the question. Mad was an understatement. He wasn’t just mad. He was _seething_. But not at Junmyeon. He was mostly angry with himself. 

“No,” he denies, still not taking his attention away from the page he was on for the last thirty minutes. “Why would you think that?”

Junmyeon sighs heavily. “Fan, you haven’t spoken a word to me since I got here. You won’t even look at me.”

Yifan grips the edges of his book tightly. He forces a smile on his face and raises his head to look at Junmyeon. “What do you mean? I’m looking at you. See?” 

Junmyeon meets his eyes and stares at him, unblinking. The intensity of the other’s gaze was too much for him, Yifan swallows nervously and had to look away first.

He clears his throat and tries to keep his tone nonchalant. “I just have a lot on my mind, okay. I’m not mad.”

“Is it about the Yixing thing?” Junmyeon asks, clearly not believing him. Like him, Junmyeon also knows Yifan like the back of his hand. “Don’t you want him teaching me?”

Yifan sighs heavily and turns to his seat to face Junmyeon. His friend was not letting this go until he gets an answer he’s satisfied with.

“It’s not that. I’m glad you’re getting better. I swear. It’s just…”

Junmyeon’s face turned expectant, patiently waiting for him to continue.

“Was I that bad in coaching you? Was that why I wasn’t successful all this time? Because I suck?”

There, he said it. Yifan’s heart threatens to break out from his rib cage with how fast it was beating. The two seconds it takes Junmyeon to answer felt like an eternity.

“Fan! Why would you say that? It’s not like that. _At all._”

“Then why?”

“I’m… I don’t know…” Junmyeon mumbles. This time, he was the one who couldn’t meet Yifan’s eyes. “Maybe Kyungsoo was right? We’re too close that I get… um… unfocused?”

Something inside Yifan snaps. His chest feels so heavy, breathing was becoming difficult. So Junmyeon does see him as nothing but a burden. What a wake-up call.

“Well, I didn’t notice that my presence _bothered_ you so much. I’m sorry,” Yifan snaps, unable to keep the venom out of his voice.

“Fan, that’s not what I said,” Junmyeon retorts, but if falls on deaf ears.

“You can go home with Kyungsoo, right?” Yifan says as begins to gather his things. “I have basketball training, so I can’t go with you.”

“Fan, come on. Don’t be like this.”

“Bye, Jun.”

“Yifan...”

Yifan ignores his friend’s pleas. He walks through the door in two quick strikes and heads out, not once looking back.

A couple of days pass with Yifan still not talking to Junmyeon. His best friend tries every method in the book to get through him. But of course, Yifan is an expert in avoiding Junmyeon. He didn’t memorize the president’s schedule for nothing. He stays away from the student council office, giving training as an excuse to skip out on his duties for the meantime. _Nobody_ needed him there, anyway. 

With the sportsfest opening ceremonies only a few days away, he also knows that Junmyeon spends his vacant hours with Yixing. Thinking about it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Are you still acting up?” Kyungsoo asks him one day, when the secretary corners him on his way to basketball practice.

Yifan side-steps him successfully, and continues to make his way to the gym. However, the smaller was also persistent. He keeps up with Yifan’s much bigger strides with ease and in no time falls in step beside him.

“This is all _your_ fault,” Yifan says sulkily.

“Real mature, Yifan,” Kyungsoo answers. He can hear the sarcasm dripping from his otherwise calm and collected friend.

Yifan isn’t really upset at Kyungsoo. He just wants somebody to air out his frustrations to, and he had a feeling that Kyungsoo was the perfect man for the job.

“I hate you and your stupid ideas,” he continues to grumble under his breath.

“Want another?” Kyungsoo replies, unfazed by his brashness. “Confess.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean _why_? What if he doesn’t like me back?”

“Then you take it like a man and move on.”

“Do you have any idea what that’s going to do with our friendship, Kyungsoo?” he says desperately, stopping in his tracks. “I don’t want to lose him.”

Kyungsoo places both hands on his waist and glares at him.

“You think so little of him? You’ve been through so much together. Do you honestly think that is all your friendship amounts too? That Junmyeon will stop being your friend when he finds out you harbor feelings for him? Because if you do, then the problem is clearly not with him.” 

Yifan blinks at the sudden attack. What Kyungsoo was telling him hits home. When he walked out on Junmyeon that day, he instantly felt bad about it. But his pride kept him from approaching his friend first. He also didn’t want to face him yet, given the internal struggle he was going through. Yifan didn’t want to say something he will later on regret.

“What you’re doing now - avoiding him like the plague, is making things better? This is how the end of friendships start, Yifan. Junmyeon thinks he did something wrong and he’s punishing himself for it. That idiot is clearly upset by all of this. He says he misses you all the time.”

“I miss him too. I do.”

“Then tell him,” Kyungsoo says, his tone suggesting that he was talking to a ten year-old. Honestly, Yifan felt like one.

“It’s not that easy. I’m scared,” he answers, for once not caring if he comes out weak. “I don’t know if I can take it, Kyungsoo. I don’t know if I can stay just as his friend anymore.”

“So you avoid him?”

“It won’t be permanent. Just give me time to sort out my feelings.”

“I’m sorry to break it to you, Yifan. This won’t be the last time. Junmyeon is a great guy and it’s only a matter of time before other people recognize that. There will be _other_ Yixings. From there, it will just be a cycle. Will you act like this again the minute another guy shows interest on Junmyeon? Don’t you think he’ll eventually get tired?”

“So I still lose him either way?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head firmly. “If there’s something I know for sure, it’s that Junmyeon won’t leave you. _Ever_. You can push him away all you want, but he won’t go anywhere. Now, it will all come down to this: Will you let him hurt you or will you hurt him?”

“I never wanted to hurt him. It’s the last thing I want.”

“Acting like a child and avoiding him like this is already hurting his feelings.”

“I didn’t realize…”

‘_What a selfish idiot I was_,’ he thinks to himself.

Kyungsoo, upon realizing that he finally got through Yifan smiles and immediately looks relieved. The smaller man reaches up to pat him on the shoulder.

“They say you can’t have everything you want. But who knows, _maybe_ you’ll be one of the few exceptions.”

“What do you mean?”

Kyungsoo shrugs, a mysterious smile on his face. “Just think about what I said, alright?”

Yifan nods solemnly. But he was done thinking. He had been thinking for the past two years, it was time to act. It was like a switch was flipped. Yifan finally knew what he had to do.

Yifan takes a front-row seat with the other council members on the day of the sports festival opening. He hasn’t seen Junmyeon yet, but Kyungsoo assured him that the president was already in the locker rooms. Yifan was restless and nervous. If the others notice this, they were kind enough to not tease him about it.

“He’ll be okay,” Kyungsoo whispers to him just in time for the announcement of the beginning of the ceremonies over the PA system.

Then, Junmyeon’s name was called as the student body applauds. He watches his friend step out of the dugout in a varsity basketball uniform made especially for him. Yifan gets a quick vision of Junmyeon in _his_ basketball jersey, but immediately shakes his head at the thought. Now was not the time for his silly fantasies. Junmyeon gives a little wave to both sides of the bleachers and jogs to the free throw line that is directly in front of Yifan.

By this time, the basketball player was on edge, his knuckles almost turning white with how tight he was gripping the ripped part of his jeans. The whole room quiets down in anticipation when Junmyeon starts dribbling the ball. His face was relaxed, he was even smiling. Yifan takes this as a good sign.

Yifan holds his breath as Junmyeon takes his stance and prepares to shoot. The gym erupts into loud cheers when the ball successfully goes in the basket. Yifan sags in relief. Beside him, Kyungsoo and the other officers are ecstatic. 

The president was then surrounded by members of the faculty and administration and the festival committee heads who were all smiling and shaking his hand. Yifan never takes his eyes away from Junmyeon.

He sees him exit the court and Yifan doesn’t waste time in following him to the locker rooms. His long limbs proved to be useful as it takes him little effort to catch up with his friend.

“Jun!” he calls.

With the entire school population gathered in the gym, the corridors were deserted, save for the two of them. He hears Junmyeon’s rubber shoes squeak as he stops abruptly at Yifan’s voice. Junmyeon turns on his heel to face him, clearly not expecting Yifan there.

Yifan for the life of him, was frozen on the spot. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say in his head the night before, but now he couldn’t remember a thing. His pulse quickens as Junmyeon takes tentative steps toward him. 

As his friend comes nearer, Yifan notes the apprehensive expression on Junmyeon’s face. It was almost as if he was scared to approach him. Yifan wanted to punch himself right then. Just how bad had he screwed things up?

Junmyeon stops a couple of feet away from him and asks in a small voice: “Are you done being mean to me?” 

Yifan hangs his head in shame. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Junmyeon replies, and Yifan’s head snaps back up. “For what I said. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. You’re not a bother. Not now, not ever.”

Yifan had been around Junmyeon long enough to know that his friend was close to crying. His nose was turning red and his eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

‘_You’re an asshole, Yifan_.’

“I know, I know. I’m so sorry. I was an idiot,” he says quickly. Before Junmyeon could start with the water works, he holds out his arms and steps closer. “Come here.”

Junmyeon comes into his embrace without hesitation and buries his head on Yifan’s chest. The president’s arms wrap around his waist and Yifan brings him even closer.

“I’m sorry,” he says again.

“I missed you,” Junmyeon answers with a quiet sniffle.

“Me too,” Yifan mumbles into Junmyeon’s hair. How he missed this. “You did great today.”

The moment was over too soon. Junmyeon untangles himself from Yifan’s arms, but still stands close. The president looks up at him with a smile. Yifan always found their height difference endearing, especially in times like this. 

He could see how Junmyeon’s long eyelashes kiss his face every time he blinks. Yifan marvels at how adorable Junmyeon is when his eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles. The way his cheeks color with a blush at the compliment, did things to Yifan’s already suffering heart. Even with the thin sheen of sweat covering his brow, Junmyeon looked absolutely gorgeous.

“I wanted to do well. I knew you were watching.”

Yifan ruffles the other man’s hair affectionately with a chuckle and wipes Junmyeon’s forehead with his hand. Then, he remembers the main reason why he wanted to talk to Junmyeon today. 

“I wanted to give you something,” he says as he reaches into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls something out.

“Your iPod?”

People rarely carry this gadget around anymore, but Yifan was not like _most_ people. He had been on the receiving end of Junmyeon’s teasing because of this, but doesn’t care. His vast music collection was just too much for his phone to handle.

“There’s a playlist in there for you.”

“Yifan… What?” Junmyeon sputters, clearly confused by the randomness of it all.

Yifan takes the iPod and places it on Junmyeon’s outstretched hand. “Just look at it when you get home, okay?”

Despite not knowing what was going on, Junmyeon nods. “Okay.”

Yifan smiles brightly, contrary to how anxious he was really feeling inside. After today, the ball would be in Junmyeon’s court. Kyungsoo’s words reverberated in his head. Whatever happens, he knows Junmyeon won’t disappear from his life. He didn’t know how his friend would react to what he would find inside the music player, but he tells himself he must be prepared for anything. Yifan will take whatever Junmyeon gives him. Even if it was just friendship.

He looks at his watch and swears. “I gotta go, I still have training.”

“Your game’s in three days, right?” Junmyeon asks and Yifan nods. “Are you going to disappear on me again?”

“Never,” he answers instantly, chuckling at Junmyeon’s scowling face. “But I am going to be a bit busy, so I won’t be able to walk you home.”

Junmyeon’s pout grew even more pronounced. Yifan wanted so badly to kiss it away. He mentally chastises himself at the thought.

“Don’t worry, though. I’ve already asked Kyungsoo, so you won’t be alone.”

“Alright,” Junmyeon agrees with a sigh. He knows how important this is for Yifan, so he doesn’t argue further. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Yes.”

_I hope. I hope that after this, you still want to see me._

Yifan scans the crowd for the hundredth time that day. Still no Junmyeon. He hadn’t heard from the other, since that day in the hallway. It had been three excruciatingly long days. Yifan only grew more melancholic at each day that passed. 

Maybe Junmyeon decided he didn’t want Yifan in his life anymore. The thought was slowly killing him. He was so distracted, it was affecting his performance. He wasn’t playing that badly, but he wasn’t giving nearly half his best either. The silent looks his coach was sending him also didn’t help in his predicament.

It was nearing the end of the second quarter. Their team had barely managed to catch up with their opponent’s score, having lagged behind a couple of points. They were going into half-time with only a two-point lead. 

“Wu, I expected more from you,” his coach reprimands once they were back in the lockers for the half-time break. “Get your head in the game, son.”

Yifan couldn’t do anything else but nod.

Some more chastising the follows, before their Coach Choi launches into a series of plays for the next half of the game. Yifan listens intently. He has to focus on his game now. Later, he can wallow in self-pity. Besides, winning might soften the blow. _Might._

The break is almost up and everyone gets ready to return to the court. Yifan was last to leave the lockers, and was surprised to find the school mascot in the doorway. Whoever was in there gives him a wave as he approaches.

“Hey there. Good work today,” he says patting the mascot’s bear head. The mascot has always grabbed his attention over his team’s last few games. The person behind the costume must be new, Yifan doesn’t remember their school’s bear being so energetic in the past.

The mascot re-enacts a “fighting” motion and tells Yifan to smile by making a gesture with his hands. Yifan chuckles in response. This bear was cute. 

“Thanks. Fighting, to you too,” Yifan says and makes his way back to the court.

As expected, the second-half was intense. Both teams were fouling each other too frequently, and the game was becoming more and more physical as they approach the last quarter. Yifan’s team was in high spirits, as they managed to raise their lead to eight points. He was also proud of himself for making a number of baskets that contributed to the team’s improving offense. However, this made him the opposing team’s target.

The other team’s players started fouling him incessantly, and his own teammates were beginning to get pissed off on his behalf. Tension was high on the last five minutes of the game. Yifan was fouled uglily when he tried to make a layup shot. He lands on the floor with a grunt and clutches his head in pain. Immediately, it was chaos. 

The players of both teams started going at each other, while the referees try to break it off before a real fight starts. Yifan remains on the floor with his eyes closed, waiting for the room to stop spinning. He registers the commotion around him, but was a little shaken to care at the moment.

“Hyung, you okay?” Chanyeol, one of his teammates, asks as he hovers over him. Yifan nods and the other man offers a hand to pull him up off the floor. As soon as he was on his feet, Yifan shakes his head to try and get his senses back together. He doesn’t think he broke anything, and that was good at least. His surroundings have calmed down for the meantime, players forced to situate themselves on opposite sides of the court, as the game officials deliberate on the call to give.

The referee delivers the verdict after a few minutes. A flagrant foul. The player who fouled him was to be ejected off the game. This wasn’t taken too well as their opponents started complaining again. There was shouting, cursing and a lot of shoving. It was a mess.

Amidst the pandemonium, Yifan didn’t know why his eyes found their school mascot first. The bear was standing on the sidelines, looking very much like it wanted to join the squabble. Yifan’s brow furrows when he realizes that the mascot was standing too close to the developing brawl. His brain was already shouting a warning, but it was out of his lips a little too late.

Two of the arguing players collided with the mascot, the sudden impact making it lose balance and fall on its back onto the floor. Yifan rushes to the bear’s side, completely forgetting he had a game going on. He sees the mascot’s bear head was askew - almost off, probably because of the fall.

“Are you okay?” he asks as he removes the piece of the costume that was probably giving the person inside a hard time breathing. Yifan, however, freezes when the mask comes off.

“Junmyeon?” Yifan almost screams when he recognizes the man under the bear costume.

It was Junmyeon, all right. His friend was sweating profusely under the suit, his blond hair sticking to his forehead. Junmyeon makes a “hehe” sound and smiles at him sheepishly.

“What are you doing here?” Yifan asks again as he helps his friend on his feet. Junmyeon was about to reply when his coach’s voice thunders from the bench.

“Wu!” he hears and immediately whips his head to find the Coach Choi glaring at him. “Get your ass back in the court!”

He throws a conflicted look back at Junmyeon, who only smiles at him reassuringly. “Later.”

That single word held a lot of promise in it, that Yifan immediately nods in agreement. He starts to jog back to his teammates when he hears Junmyeon call once more.

“Fan! Be careful!”

Yifan flashes Junmyeon his signature gummy smile and gives him a thumbs up. He doesn’t know what exactly was going on, but one thing was for sure: He was going to win this game, no matter what it takes.

And win he does. The game ends with his team taking a six-point lead, thanks to Yifan’s newfound inspiration and his teammates’ aggression. Their coach was all smiles as they prepare to head back to the dugout in high spirits.

Yifan, on the other hand, was searching left and right for the one person he wished to see that very moment. He spots Junmyeon’s tuft of hair in the crowd. He was hard to miss as he was still wearing the lower-half of the mascot suit.

Junmyeon catches his eye and smiles. Yifan doesn’t waste any more time and goes over to him in a few quick strides, pushing his way through his teammates who took turns patting him on the back or playfully ruffling his hair. He acknowledges the greetings absentmindedly, his attention focused solely on Junmyeon, who was standing awkwardly in the corner where they had their encounter earlier. Back when he didn’t know who the man inside the costume was yet.

“Hey,” he says as soon as he reaches Junmyeon’s side.

“Hi,” Junmyeon answers. “Congratulations.”

Yifan notes that despite the bright smile on Junmyeon’s face, there was obvious tension in the way he held himself. Like he was nervous about something. Yifan’s brows furrow in concern.

“Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”

Junmyeon shakes his head. “I’m fine.”

Silence. Why was it so damn awkward between them?

“Jun-“ Yifan begins, but Junmyeon interrupts him.

“Can we talk?”

Yifan’s heartbeat instantly picks up. Here it was. No backing out now.

“S-Sure. Let’s get out of here,” he says and pulls Junmyeon with him, mascot suit and all.

“W-wait!” Junmyeon says and Yifan halts mid-step. Junmyeon gestures to the mascot suit. “I have to take this off first. You need to change, too. Will you meet me in the council office?”

Yifan wanted to protest and say he would just wait for Junmyeon outside the lockers while he changed. But something in his best friend’s face told him Junmyeon needed this time for himself. For what exactly, Yifan doesn’t know. He considers this and decides he needs to prepare himself for whatever the outcome of this “talk” will be. Finally, he nods.

“Okay.”

“I won’t take long. I promise,” Junmyeon says, and with one last smile at him heads to the room at the far end of the hall, where they keep the mascot suit.

Yifan forgoes the locker rooms and decides to quickly grab his gym bag and head to the bathroom closest to the council office. His team calls after him, and he voices out a half-hearted apology for missing the team dinner his coach arranged because of an “emergency”.

The ten minutes he spends waiting for Junmyeon was pure torture. He takes a seat at the table where they hold their meetings, back stiff and shoes tapping continuously as he waits. His brain was coming up with different scenarios, all leading to the end of him and Junmyeon’s friendship. For the first time in so long, Yifan wanted to cry. His nerves were all over the place, so he almost jumped out of his skin when he hears the door open.

Junmyeon steps in, all smiles and Yifan instantly feels a bit better. Maybe this wouldn’t go too bad. Maybe Junmyeon won’t reject him too harshly.

“Hey,” Junmyeon greets. “Again.”

“Hi,” Yifan answers lamely. “Everything alright?”

Junmyeon ponders at his question for two beats before smiling timidly and shrugging his shoulders. He walks over to the table, pauses and seemingly debates for a while, before pulling out the chair from across Yifan and taking his seat.

“Depends.”

‘_On what?_’ Yifan wanted to ask. But before he can, Junmyeon speaks again.

“I’m sure you have questions.”

‘_Yeah a lot. Did you see what’s on the iPod? Why haven’t you said anything about it? Are you here to tell me to get lost and never speak to you again?_’ Yifan thinks. But he settles with the safest one.

“The mascot. Since when have you…”

“Ah. That’s the hardest one to answer,” Junmyeon says, his head low and avoiding Yifan’s eyes. 

His face flushes a lovely shade of scarlet and makes Yifan wonder why Junmyeon is embarrassed with a very simple question. He takes too long to answer and Yifan grows apprehensive as each second ticks by. It was quiet for quite a period of time that Yifan flinches when Junmyeon speaks again.

“From your first game of the season.”

“Wait, _what_?” Yifan asks, incredulous. “So all those times I ask you to come and watch me play, and you didn’t make it… You were there all this time?”

Junmyeon looks at him pointedly and answers a-matter-of-factly. “I saw all your games, Fan. Do you _really_ think I’d miss them?”

“You always said you were busy studying!”

“Come on, Fan. You know I’d choose _you_ over Physics, any day.”

“I still don’t get it. Why? You could have just joined the crowd like the other students. Why go to such extremes?”

Junmyeon goes extremely quiet again, suddenly finding his own hands interesting. Normally, Yifan would let his friend be until he’s ready to talk again, but there were a lot of questions running on his mind, and he needed answers now. 

“Jun?” he prods gently.

Junmyeon takes a deep breath that echoes in the silence of the room. “Because I was planning something every time I put on this suit. But I always chicken out at the last minute.”

“Planning what?”

“I was going to confess to you,” Junmyeon answers without missing a beat and while looking straight into Yifan’s eyes. “I was going to do it after the first game of the season, but the team lost. I figured you wouldn’t be in the mood, so I decided to postpone it. On the second game, the team was all over you after you made that buzzer-beater, I couldn’t find the right timing.”

At this point, Junmyeon was already babbling. He was speaking so fast, it was almost incoherent, but Yifan hung onto every word. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was sure he was just dreaming all of this.

“And then on your third game, the perfect opportunity was presented to me. You remember that, don’t you?” Junmyeon asks shyly, his lashes lowered and the blush on his cheeks seemingly permanent. “After the game, you came up to me and patted my head. Well, my suit’s head.”

Yifan smiles as he remembers. “I thought you were really cute.”

“That could have been my chance. I could have just taken off the mascot suit right there, and told you…”

“Tell me what?”

“That I’m _scared_. I’m scared because I like you so much and you might not like me back and decide not to be friends with me anymore.”

Okay, he was dreaming for sure. All the things he wanted to tell Junmyeon were being spoken by the latter instead. What would this be, if not a dream? He hopes it wasn’t one of those dreams where he wakes up before getting to the end. He doesn’t utter a word, afraid that speaking would interrupt this wonderful, wonderful scene before him.

But then, Junmyeon reaches over the table and places his hands near Yifan’s, only close enough for their fingertips to touch. Yifan feels it with every fiber of his body, though, and he is assaulted with the thought that _this is very very real._

“I wasn’t planning on telling you. _Not really_. I figured we’d graduate soon and then go to different colleges, and then I’ll eventually get over my feelings for you.”

“What?” Yifan immediately protests. “Who says we’re separating for college? You’re stuck with me forever, Kim Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes and playfully slaps Yifan’s hand that was closest to him. “_Fan_. I’m trying to confess here.”

“Sorry,” he says and scratches his head. “Go ahead.”

“Then I realized, I’ll never get rid of you. I’m in too deep. I can’t even bear the thought of being away from you. So I decided to tell you, at least. If I get rejected, I wouldn’t dwell on the what ifs. I was slowly building up the courage and try to talk to you about it, but yeah… Chicken.”

Junmyeon chuckles half-heartedly, but goes back to being serious in a split second. He turns back to Yifan with a piercing gaze, it makes the player gulp nervously.

“Then you gave me that playlist on your iPod,” Junmyeon says, disbelief in his tone. “Does it- Do you really-”

Junmyeon trails off and bows his head, his incomplete sentence hanging in the air between them. For Yifan, it was now or never. He had let Junmyeon do all the work and the talking, it was time for him to keep the ball rolling. If Junmyeon had been brave enough to tell him all this, why couldn’t he? So Yifan decides to jump.

He stands and makes his way around the table to Junmyeon. The president stays unmoving on his seat, eyes trained on the floor and refusing to look at him. Yifan sighs and gets on his knees so that he is level with Junmyeon’s face. Yifan grips both sides of the chair and turns it slightly sidewards so that Junmyeon is facing him. The surprised gasp this pulls out from the smaller, makes Yifan chuckle slightly.

“S-Stop manhandling me!” Junmyeon scolds, but his head still remains down.

“Junmyeon, look at me,” he says solemnly. He waits until Junmyeon raises his head and meets his eyes, then tells him, “I’m in love with you.”

Junmyeon doesn’t say anything for a while, just staring at Yifan, gouging the truth of his words. He seemed to be satisfied with what he saw, because his lips morph into a tender smile. What he did next, however, took Yifan off guard. Junmyeon grabbed his face with both hands and planted a kiss on his unsuspecting lips.

The kiss was brief, a mere peck, really, but it left Yifan tingling and wanting more.

“Does this mean you like me too?” he jokes in false confidence. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks and he was sure he was blushing furiously.

“You’re an idiot,” Junmyeon answers, seeing right through him. “But, yes. I love you too.”

He smiles widely at Junmyeon, before grabbing both the president’s hands and placing them on his nape so that Junmyeon has his arms around Yifan’s neck. He pulls the chair closer and places both hands on either side of Junmyeon’s waist. His knees were starting to hurt, but he pays them no mind.

“I love you,” he says, smiling so hard he feels his face breaking.

“Kiss me, then. _Boyfriend_.”

Yifan decides likes the sound of that, as he captures his boyfriend’s lips. Junmyeon sighs into the kiss, and Yifan thinks: _‘Finally’._

Outside the door, Kyungsoo looks at the scene before him and giggles. He was out looking for the two when they disappeared after the game, fearing they still won’t be able to make up. He honestly wasn’t expecting that this was what he would end up seeing. Nevertheless, Kyungsoo was glad his plan worked. He was happy the two idiots came to their senses just in time.

He quietly closes the door behind him and intercepts Baekhyun and Jongdae who were also about to come in.

“Did you find them?” Baekhyun asks, concerned.

Kyungsoo nods, but Jongdae decides that it wasn’t enough of an answer. “Well?”

“Let’s, uhm, leave them alone for a while.”

Jongdae clamps a hand on his mouth and says, scandalized, “They aren’t making out in there, are they?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t answer and pulls both his friends by the ear, away from the council office. “If I ever hear one word from both of you about this, I will tell your boyfriends all the mischief you’ve been up to behind their backs!”

The warning was clearly taken seriously by Jongdae and Baekhyun as they both held one hand up. “Not a word. We promise.”

“Good. Now, let’s get something to eat. Our three-man search party has made me hungry.”

Kyungsoo takes one last look back at the door of the office and smiles. Unrequited love doesn’t always end well. Kyungsoo was glad that his friends were one of the few exceptions. 


End file.
